First Powered Airship Flight: Giffard Flies 17 Miles by Steam
Henri Giffard's airship looked nothing like what came after — a steam engine slung beneath a 144-foot hydrogen-filled envelope, traveling at just 6 mph, barely enough to steer. But he steered it. On a calm September morning he flew 17 miles from Paris to Trappes, making gentle turns, proving that powered, controlled flight in a lighter-than-air craft was possible. The Wright Brothers were still 51 years away from being born. Giffard had just made the engine's first argument that the sky was navigable.
September 24, 1852
174 years ago
Key Figures & Places
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